Spirit of the Fox
There once was a farmer who had two sons. The family was much poor and in the end the farmer had to send away his boys as he did not have food for them all. The oldest was to pick first what he wanted to bring on his yourny to seek his fortune, and he took the best horse, the finest food and best wine and left for the large city. The youngest therefor had to take the sick old horse, the scrumpy rations and the stale wine. He instead left for the forest in hope to find his fortune. As the young boy traveled through the thick of the forest he finaly reached a place to rest, there he unmounted his horse to have something to eat, then sudenly came a large fox, with pleading eyes he looked at the boy. He in turn decided to share his food with the creature and they both ate together. When done the fox said out loud: "You are a most generous persson my dear sir, and charing your food with a stranger such as I show the kindness in your hart. Why if you agree to marry me, I will help you find your fortune and you will never be in want ever again". To this the boy felt he had to agree, and as such the fox became his companion. Together they traveled through the forest on the sugestion of the fox, untill they reached a city in which was ruled by a duke, and famous for it's growing of apples. There the fox ask the boy wait, and left alone to the city. After finding some rich fine clothings hanging to dry, the fox stole the clothes and ran back to the boy and asked him to change into it and then they walked to the dukes mansion. Once there the boy asked for alowence to stay at the dukes house, presenting himself as a far of baron who had been struch by robbers on his way here, all acording to instructions by the fox. The duke and his doughter felt horrible for him and therefore asked that he stayed there with them. And so a few days later, a messenger came to the mansion for the duke, this with a warning of a giant who had in mind to crush the city. At this the regent was utely dismayed, unsure of what to do, and so the youth asked to be left in charge of the problem, and the duke gladly agreed. The boy so went to meet with the colossus, when he was far out from the city, the giant came and the boy made his chalange to the giant, saying he should leave the city alone unless he wanted to face his own undoing this was words learned from the fox who had again met with the boy. The giant most amused asked who would otherwhise stop him, when the boy said it would be he, the giant almost doubled over: "I do not belive your aclaimed strength boy" But the lad retorted: "Then how about we have a competition then to see who the strongest is". To this the giant agrees. First, the boy sugest they try to squees water out of a stone, as such, the enourmus man takes a bolder and press it with every inch of strenght he has, but no water ever comes out. Telling the boy it is impossible, the lad takes a large piece of chees which he squeeses between his hands and milk comes out. Tthe giant, beliving it is water from a stone belives he indeed has been bested in this feeat, he then sugest they are to see who can throw a stone the longest. Taking another boulder he haul it many miles away untill it finaly lands, the boy in kind insted takes a small bird that he cast which fly away and never comes back. The giant beliving he threw his rock so far that it just never came back is now truly afraid of the boy, thinking he actually will defeat him if angered say he will take his leave, but as a tribute to the boys strenght, leave him an echanted sword. One when drawn by one of curage, it would burn with the birgtest of flame, but drawn by a caward, and the persson is the one that burns. The boy thanked the fox once again and returned to the city. The duke was most thankfull for the brave and heroic act that the boy had shown, he asked direktly of him to let his doughter and he to visit his kingdom at the soonest. As such the boy was not sure what to awnser as he did not really have a land of his own. But the fox spoke to him, told him that this would be solved, as long as the boy was alowed to travel three days in advance, this was agreed upon and as such the boy left the mansion. The boy and his fox as such traveled to another city further north, this being said by anyone they met a cursed city and home of nothing but evil and missery. Where upon the boy told each and everyone that by saying so they would bring upon themself seven years of bad luck and instead they should tell of happiness and prosperity and such would befall them, this all instructed by the fox. Once they arived at the city, there was a black gate that lead to a black castle. The duo traveled through and once inside, they mey with a black dark wizard. The magician asked of their bidings in his domain and the boy awnsered troughfully that he did not know. The mage could feel his honesty, and instead asked what he caried, again the boy ansered troughfully, only the clothes on my back, my companion fox and a flaming sword. Upon hearing of the wepon, the mage became enraged: "Douseth dare to bring a wepon to my keep, have thee thought intend to slay me with it?" But the boy only awnsered, for the third time trouthfully: "No such thing I have in mind, but if you wish I can give the blade to you." At this the dark sourseror agreed, and took the blade from the boy. Though he awnsered with a pure hart, the mage could not put his spells on him, so instead he draw the sword, intending to cut him down where he stood. But the magicians dark, twisted and cowerdly hart betrayed himself and as such, when the blade was sethed the man burst into the brightest flame and he fell down dead. And so, explained the fox, this castle is now yours. And with the words, the castle shed it's dark taint that the wizard had spread and instead the black walls became shining white marble, the banners and carpets turned to gold. And there they stayed in the keep untill the duke and his doughter arived, both exalted at the words they had heard from all they met who had told of such a miraculase place. And when both of them had seen the magificent castle, they where lost for words. The duke emediatly wanted the youth to marry his doughter as nothing would be more fitting. But the boy only shook his head: "Im sorry, but my hart is promissed to someone else." The regient was furious, demanding to know how would be more fitting, and the boy awnsered it was the fox, as he had promissed his hand in marrige to her. Again lost for words in rage, both the duke and his doughter left the boy alone in the keep, the fox turned to him and asked: "How come you decided to stay true to your word, you could have gained anything you wanted, I gave you everything one could wish for." The boy retorted: "Becourse it was as you said, you where the one who stood by my side from the beguining, word or not you are the one I've come to love." Whith the words said the fox burst into a flash of light, as the glow faded there insted stod the most butifull princess in a gown of crystals and furs. The fox explaining that she was cursed by another wizard for her wicked ways as a penance, but the boys fealing of love towards her had freed her from this. Together they married as the boy had so promissed and together they lived in eternal bliss untill end of days.